On February 2, a loud roar was heard again over the Yellow Sea, and several cruise missiles broke through the silent sky. The news came from the Russian satellite news network, who disclosed the astonishing development around 11 o'clock that day. This is the second time in a few days that North Korea has fired a cruise missile in the direction of the Yellow Sea. It has been only three days since the previous launch, and in the past 10 days, this is already the fourth time that North Korea has conducted a cruise missile test.
At the same time, the South Korean Joint Staff Headquarters (JSF) also reported on the incident on the same day. According to the Joint Staff Headquarters, the DPRK launched a number of cruise missiles into the western waters of the Korean Peninsula at around 11 a.m. on the same day, and the flight time of these missiles was only a few tens of minutes, and the flight distance was relatively short. While strengthening vigilance, South Korea and the United States attach great importance to the incident, and the intelligence agencies urgently carry out data analysis.
In recent times, North Korea has frequently displayed its strategic cruise missiles, using a variety of platforms for launches, including mobile launchers, submarines, ships and fighter jets. Such actions are nothing more than an attempt to highlight their ability to strike at South Korea and the United States. However, there is also a sensitive issue involved in the missile launch, which is that South Korea and the United States are intensively organizing the first special operations exercise of the 2024 year.
Earlier this year, South Korean and U.S. special forces conducted a 13-day joint special operations exercise at the Rodriguez base in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. The exercise was attended by the Flying Tiger Brigade of the South Korean Army Special Operations Command and the US Army 1st Special Operations Regiment. The exercise is designed to familiarize the special forces of both sides with the joint combat process and improve the individual combat skills of the members.
It is worth noting that the United States and South Korea have long planned to carry out decapitation operations against North Korea, and special forces have been the main force in carrying out targeted killing missions. On the third day after the start of the exercises, North Korea launched its first cruise missile, which seems to be some kind of coincidence with the exercises.
In addition to the exercises of special forces, the ROK Air Force is also conducting corresponding operations. According to Yonhap News Agency, the South Korean Air Force will participate in the "Confrontation North 2024" multinational air force joint exercise held at Andersen Air Force Base in the United States. Hosted by the U.S. Pacific Air Force Command, the exercise involved six countries, including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Australia, France and Canada, with more than 80 aircraft and more than 3,000 soldiers. The purpose of the exercise is obvious, directed at North Korea. F-2, F-15C, F-16C and other fighter jets, as well as C-130, CN-235 and other transport aircraft, will participate in the exercise, demonstrating a posture of deterrence against North Korea.
In the tense atmosphere on the peninsula, North Korea was forced to take a resolute stance and respond to the joint military exercises of the United States and South Korea by launching cruise missiles. On 30 January, the Korean People's Army (KPA) conducted a training exercise in the launch of the Arrow-2 strategic cruise missile, a new type of missile with a range of about 1,800,200 kilometres and capable of carrying the Volcano-31 tactical nuclear warhead, in the waters west of the Korean Peninsula. It is worth mentioning that on January 24 and 28, North Korea launched new cruise missiles "Arrow-3-31" and "Arrow-3-31" in the western and eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula, respectively.
The report also revealed that in order to counterbalance the joint maritime exercise organized by South Korea, the United States and Japan near Jeju, the Institute of Underwater Systems of the DPRK Academy of National Defense Sciences conducted an important test in the waters of the East China Sea of North Korea, testing the "Tsunami-5-23" underwater nuclear ** system.
In the face of the escalation of military tensions on the peninsula, the United States and South Korea have continuously stepped up military operations, coupled with the DPRK's continuous missile launches, the situation on the peninsula has become increasingly tense. The key is restraint and patience on both sides, which are crucial factors in avoiding the outbreak of hostilities.